The Grove Report

How It Happened: Ole Miss Baseball Defeats Western Kentucky 8-6 in Oxford Regional

The Rebels remain alive in the Oxford Regional, take down the Hilltoppers in an elimination game.
Zack Nagy|
May 31, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels starting pitcher Hunter Elliott (26) reacts after a strike out to end the sixth inning against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
May 31, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels starting pitcher Hunter Elliott (26) reacts after a strike out to end the sixth inning against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

OXFORD, Miss. – No. 10 Ole Miss baseball extended its NCAA Tournament run on Saturday afternoon, blasting six home runs in an 8-6 win in an elimination game against Western Kentucky.

Mitchell Sanford, Austin Fawley and Judd Utermark each had multi-home-run games, while Hunter Elliott delivered a strong start on the hill, going 6.0 innings with one earned run allowed and seven strikeouts.

As the visiting team at Swayze Field, the Rebels opened on the offensive as Mitchell Sanford blasted a leadoff home run, and Isaac Humphrey singled home Luke Hill to make it a 2-0 start—though Western Kentucky answered right back in the bottom half with two of its own.

Austin Fawley put Ole Miss back on top with a solo homer in the second, but once again, WKU matched it with a pair of doubles down the left field line to tie it back at three.

After a scoreless third, Ole Miss jumped back in front with another Fawley solo homer, then Hill drove home Luke Cheng with a single to left to make it a 5-3 ballgame.

Hunter Elliott made quick work of the Hilltoppers with a 1-2-3 fourth, and Judd Utermark launched the fourth Rebel homer of the game over the batter's eye in center for a 6-3 lead.

Sanford kept it going with the fifth in the sixth inning to make it a 7-3 advantage.

WKU threatened with two on and nobody out in the fifth, but Elliott induced a popup and a double play to escape the inning unscathed.

The Hilltoppers had it going once again in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but Elliott delivered a clutch strikeout to preserve the four-run lead.

Utermark then became the third Rebel with a multi-homer game with a towering blast to right center to give Ole Miss an 8-3 lead.

The Hilltoppers got that one back with a solo homer in the bottom half of the seventh and had one last shot at the comeback in the ninth.

Three straight one-out hits led to a run, and after an error, WKU had the tying run on base and go-ahead run at the plate but flied out to end it.

Ole Miss will face the loser of tonight's game between Georgia Tech and Murray State. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT on Sunday.

*This story will be updated.*

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Ole Miss Rebels On SI, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Rebel Football, Baseball, Basketball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving Ole Miss athletics. Nagy has covered the Southeastern Conference for over half a decade after being born and raised in New Orleans (La.).

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